Transmission control mechanism



Nov. 13, 1945. G. T. RANDOL TRANSMISSION CONTROL MEYGHANISM `1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 12 17T ra Em/EK Nov. 13, 1945. G. T. RANDoL TRANSMISSION CONTROL MEGHANISM Filed April 12, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 llll HI IIIII HrTo/eA/EK N0v.13,1945. 'G T RANDOL 2,388,763

TRANSMISSION CONTROL MECHANISM Filed April 12, 1943 4 Shets-Sheet 3 ,'"lllll EMM" Nov. 13, 1945. G. T. RANDOL TRANSMISSION CONT-ROL MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 12 Pnened'uov. 13,` 194s UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE 'rnANsmssloN coN'rnoL MEof Glenn il?. Ranolol, St. lLonia, lilo@ application April l2, litt, aerial No, @2,332

lily invention relates to control mechanism for a change speed gearing system of a vehicle and more particularly to such c. system employing a main change speed gearing andi an auxiliary change speed gearing.

One ot the objects oi my invention is to simpliiy the control operations of a vehicle provided with a main and auxiliary transmission system employable to drive both the front and rear aviles of the vehicle or the rear axle independently.

iirnther object oi my invention is to provide improved toot-operated control means for shitting the shiitable member oi.' an auxiliary tvfospeeol gearing unit.

il. more speciilc oblect ci' my invention is to associate said control means with the usual clutch ciisengaging pedal for the main clutch so that the shiitable member oi the auxiliary tivo-speed unit can he placed in either oi its two speeol ratios or neutral position Toy depressing the pedal to three olinerent positions heyonol clutch-olsengagecl position liet another object ot my invention is to em notiy means in the control means which will ireri which Figure `l is a top view oi a portion ot a motor vehicle showing a main and auxiliary change sioeecl gearing system for driving both iront and rear axles of the vehicle together with the control means therefor embodying my inverotion; Figure 2 is a view teiten on the line i-t ot Figure l, saiol view having parte breiten away anni snowing certain details oi the auxiliary change speed unit and the control mechanism therefor, the gearing and control mechanism being shown in their normally inoperative positions; Figure 3 is another top view of the main and auxiliary gear-ings showing details of the main and auxiliary gearing system and the control mechanism; Fig? ure 1lis a sectional view taken on the line t-t of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a sectioi view taken on the line E-E of Figure Z; Figure i5 is a sectional view showing'azlditional details of part oi the mechanism for controlling the auxiliary two:

speed gearing the front coupling, the

lil

2l Claims (Ci. IN2-3.5i

gearing being in neutral and the front axle cou pling engaged; Figure 2' is a view of a portion oi' the structure shown in Figure 2 but showin@ the control mechanism in a, positioncorrespond ing to low gear ratio with the front axle coupling engaged; Figure t is a view similar to Figure t, showing parte oi the control mechanism in low sneed ratio position snol the front airle coupling engagea; Figure a is a view similar to Figure t hat showing the auxiliary gearing unit and the control parts in positions corresponding to lois speeoi ratio with the iront asie coupling engaged; Figure lo is another side view similar to nliieure 'i hut showing the parts oi the control mechanism in the high sneed acer ratio position rwith the iront view similar to Figure t but showing the parts in hiah gear ratio position with the liront aille coupling engaged; Figure l2 is a view similar to Figure a, showing the parts n'ioveoi to high gear ratio position with the front axle coupling en gageci; Figure i3 is a front view oi the auxiliary two-speed gearing and the control mechanism as veines?n in the direction of the arrows on the line ill-it oi Mgnre 2'; Figure le is a perspective view, showing the control shaft which enters the auxiliary gearing casing and parte associated therewith; Figure l5 is a sectional vien' taken on the line itiii oi Figure 2; Figure it is a sec tional vievv taken on the line iiiiii or" Figure l5; Figure l? is a partial sectional view, showing an operative condition of the conneoting'arm hetween the main clutch disengaging shaft and the remainder of the control mechanism for the auitiliary gearing; Figure le is another7 view of the parts ci the control mechanism on the en terlor ot the auxiliary casing but showing them in a nosition assurneol during the movement of the control mechanism to its normally inoperative position; Figure i9 is a perspective view ot the shifter iorlzs and gear shifting lever employed in shitting the elements of the main change speed gearing unit; and Figure 20 is a view ci' the parte oi the connection'hetvreen the clutch. pedal anti the clutch operating shaft, said view being taken as indicated by the line tiltt of Figure l.

Referring to the drawings in detail and nrst to Figures i, 3, e, la, and 2li, numeral i indicates a frame oi a motor vehicle having a cross-support il. The engine which is supported by the traine, has a crantzshait l connected to the heel with which is associated the main friction clutch member t. clutch member is spiineol to the transmission drive shalt l ot the main mi ion gearing t and is operated by a clutch nie coupling engaged; liigure ll is another constantlydriven by the reverse gear 2I.

lever 9 secured to a clutch shaft I0 extending across the clutch housing. The shaft I is con nected to be operated by the usual clutch pedal Il, said connection comprising rods I2 and I2' and a shaft I3 provided with arms and being pivoted on the frame' (see Figures 1 andv 20). When the clutch pedal II is depressed, the main clutch member 8 will be disengaged and when the pedal is released, the main clutch member will become re-engaged to permit the crankshaft to drive the driving shaft 1 of the main change speed gearing.

The change speed gearing 8 is positioned in aI casing I4 mounted on cross-support 2 and is of well-known construction comprising a splined driven shaft I5 in axial alignment with the driving shaft 1 and a countershaft I8 at one side of the driving and driven shafts. The countershaft is constantly driven from the driving shaft by gears I1 and I8 and has mounted thereon a second speed gear I9, a low speed gear 20, and a reverse gear 2|. The driven shaft I5 has rotatably mounted thereon a second speed gear 22 constantly meshing with gear I9 and to the rear thereof a slidable combined low and reverse speed gear 23 capable of meshing. with the low speed gear 20 on the countershaft or an idler gear 2| Between the second speed gear 22 on the driven shaft and gear I1 on the driving shaft is a double clutch member 24 whereby the second speed gear 22 can be connected to the driven shaft to obtain second speed ratio or the driving shaft connected to the driven shaft to obtain direct or high speed drive. The clutch member 24 is controlled by a shifting fork 25 mounted on a shifting rod 28 slidable in the gear casing I4. The combined low and reverse gear 23 is also controlled by a shifting fork 21 secured to a rod 28 positioned parallel with rod 26. The two rods 28 and 28 are adapted to be controlled by the usual selecting gear shift lever 29 universally mounted in the cover plate 30 of the gear casing. It is thus seen that the main change speed gearing' 8 is controllable by proper manipulation ofthe gear shift lever 29. Thus the driven shaft I5 of the gearing can be driven from the engine through either reverse, low, second. or high gear ratio.

Secured to the rear end of the main gear casing I4 is a transfer casing 3| into `which the driven shaft I5 of the main' change speed gearing projects, Mounted on the end of driven shaft I5 in this transfer casing is a gear 32 which constantly drives the gears of an auxiliary two-speed gearing contained ln the transfer casing.

The auxiliary two-speed gearing has integral gears 33 and 34 mounted on a shaft 35 in the k casing, gear 33 being the largest and constantly meshing with gear 32. The transfer casing also has journaled therein a shaft' 38 positioned parallel with shaft 35. Rotatably mounted on shaft 38 is a gear 31 provided with clutch teeth 38 and being constantly in' mesh with the previously mentioned gear 33 on shaft 34. It is thus seen that gear 31 is driven whenever power is transmitted to the driven shaft I5 of the main change speed gearing. The shaft 38 is provided with splines 39 and slidably mounted on these splines is a gear 48 provided with internal teeth 4I (see Figure 12). The gear 40 is adapted to cooperate with the previously mentioned gear 34 and the internal clutch teeth 4I are adapted to cooperate with the previously mentioned clutch teeth 38 on gear 31. Gear 48 has a central neutral position, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, wherein the gear is not in mesh with gear 34 and the clutch teeth 4I are not in engagement with clutch teeth 38; Thus it is seen that under these neutral conditions gears 33, 34, and 31 may be constantly driven but power is not transmitted. to

shaft 33. When gear 43 meshes with gear 34l power can be transmitted to shaft 38 through these gears and when gear 43 is moved so that clutch teeth 4I engage clutch teeth 33, power can beltransmitted through gear 31 to shaft 38 at a higher ratio.

As best shown in Figures 1, 3, 4, and 9, the rear end of shaft 33 is connected by a universal Joint 42 to a propeller shaft 43 leading to the rear axle of the vehicle for driving the rear wheels associated therewith, the driving connection includingJ the usual dilerential gearing (not shown). The forward end of shaft 38 extends into a casing 44 secured to the forward end of transfer casing 3I and cross-support 2, said casing being positioned alongside the main gear casing I4. This forward end of shaft 38 is provided with splines `48 upon which is slidable an internally toothed clutch element 48 forming part of a'coupling. Piloted into the splined end of .shaft 38 is a short shaft 41 journaled in casing 3|. This shaft is provided with external clutch teeth of a clutch element 48 and said teeth are adapted to cooperate with the internal teeth'of the slidable element 48, thus completing the coupling. As best shown in Figure 1, the outer end of short shaft 41 is connected by a universal joint 49 to a propeller shaft 50 leading to the front axle of the vehicle for driving the wheels associated therewith, there being suitable differential gearing between the propeller shaft and the wheels. From this construction it is seen that if the slidable element 48 of the coupling is engaged with element 48, any power being transmitted to shaft 38 will also be transmitted to the front wheels of the vehicle. If the clutch element 48 is disengaged from teeth 48, no power will be transmitted to the front wheels.

Referring now to Figures l to 18, the features of my improved control mechanism will be described. The slidable clutch element 48 of the front axle drive coupling is controlled by a gear shifting fork 5I which is secured to a slidable rod 52 mounted in the top portion of casing 44 and also having a bearing in the adjacent end of the transfer casing 3|. This rod has a recess R and an annular groove RF meaning rear axlev drive only and both rear and front axle drive, respectively. Cooperating with this recess and groove is a, spring-pressed ball detent 53. When the slidable clutch element 48 is in engagement with the teeth of clutch element 48, the detent will cooperate with the RF groove and because of the engaged condition of the coupling, the front axle can be driven. When the detent is in the R recess, the coupling will be disengaged and the front axle will not be driven by shaft 38 when power is transmitted thereto. Extending into casing 44 through the Wall thereof is a shaft 54 which has secured to its inner end an arm 55. The free end o f this arm fits into a slot in the shifting fork 5I. Thus by rotating shaft 54, the shifting fork can be moved back and forth to cause the coupling to be engaged and disengaged. The outer end of the shaft has secured thereto a hand lever 58 which extends upwardly into the operators compartment along side the gear shift lever 29 for the main change speed gearing 8. Thus the operator, by moving lever 58 back and forth, can control the engagement and coupling at will. 4

Also slidably mounted in the top portion of casings M and 3l is another rod 51 positioned teeth `38 on gear 31 of the auxiliary two-speed l searing.-

The forward end of rod 5l is provided with an elongated recess Bt for cooperation with an interlocking -pin El which pin also cooperates with rod ti for controlling the coupling. The rod. di has three positions which are indicated as H, N, and L and mean high' gear ratio of the auxiliary twospeed gearing', neutral, and low speed ratio. respectively. VThese positions are indicated on the portion of the rod adjacent the interlocking pin ti. of rod tl only between the N and H positions il the interlocking pin tl is forced into the recess by rod 52 being in a position where the coupling is disengaged (detent tt in the R recess). Under these conditions, gear tt cannot beY engaged with gear tt for low speed ,ratio (Lposition oi rod lil) if rod t2 is in a lposition where the coupling is engaged (detent in Rl?1 groove), then the interlocking pin will cooperate with thegRF groove in said rod 52 permitting rod tl to be rnoved to any oi' its three positions H, N, or L. Thus it is seen that when the iront axle coupling is disengaged, it will only be possible to neutralize the auxiliary two-speed gearing by moving gear [it to neutral or to place the auxiliary two-speed gearing in its high gear ratio by engaging teeth. ti with teeth il' the front axle coupling is engageeh both the iront and rear aide drives can be driven and the auxiliary two-speed gearing can be placed in neutral, high. or low by proper movement oi gear llt.

@n the forward end of rod lill which is positioned in casing ill there ls secured a collar llt providing .two shoulders ed and tl. Cooperating with the side portion ci shoulder tl is one end of an arm (iii, the other end of said arm being provided with a sleeve tt which is rotatably mounted on shalt til and entends to the exterior of the casing it ieee Figures lll, l5, and 16). Splined on the outer portion oi this sleeve til is a collar tl having a disengagement of the' The elongated recess @t permits movement a p 'yielding of the spring-backed shoe l5. Whenthe Y force holding arm 13 from rotation is relieved, the.

iorce action of spring 1B and shoe 15 will be great enough to move arm 13 and the control mechanism so that the normal relationship between the block and the shoe will again be resumed.V

The lever 1D, whichhas been previously noted as being mounted on sleeve S6, is also provided with an upstanding arm ll and carried by the upper end of this arm is a pivoted member 'i8 slot tt for receiving a lug ttl smaller than the slot Y and carried by a lever it rotatably mounted upon the sleeve tt between the collar and the previously referred to hand-operated lever which controls shaft ttl.

Lever lt has a downwardly extending arm 'il which is connected by means of a rod 'it with an arm lil provided with a forked end rotatably mounted on the end of the previously referred to main clutch operating shaft lil. This forked end receives a block it which is secured to shalt it.

VSarrieri by lever "it is a shoe lt? for cooperation biased against said arm by a spring i9. Journaled in casing M above rod 5l is a shaft til, the inner end of which is provided with a dog el overlying rod hl' and adapted to cooperate with the top portions of the two shoulders G3 and 6d established by the collar (il. The outer end of shaft tt has secured thereon a short arm 82 for cooperation under certain conditions with the springbiased member it carried bythe upper end of arm lll. A coil spring t3 is connected to the arm and to the casing and operates to bias shaft til, arm at and dog tl in a'cloclrwise direction as viewed in lFigures 2, 7, l0, and 1l so that dog di will be conditioned to engage shoulders tt and dit. lin order that the pivoted member lil carried by the upper end of arm il will not abut casing tl during the operative movement of the arm the casing is provided with a recess lili.

Referring now to the operation of my simplined control mechanism, let it be assumed that the main change speed gearing t is in neutral position as shown in Figure 3. Under these conditions no power will be transmitted to the driven shaft it and, therefore, no power to the wheels of the vehicle regardless of the conditioner the auxiliary two-speed gearing or the front axle coupling. Let it be assumed that the auxiliary two-speed gearing is in its high speed ratio with gear dil in the position indicated in Figure l2 where teeth engage teeth til. Let it,

also be assumed that the 'iront axle coupling is engaged., Under these conditions the. parts of the control mechanism and the gearing will be in the positions shown in Figures il and i2. The main change speed gearing may now be controlled by the gear shift lever Zillto connect drive shaft 'l to shaft it and transmit power to both the rear and front aides through the highest speed ratio of the auxiliary two-speed gearing. To transmit power, the clutch pedal il may be moved to clutch-disengaged position A, the gears oi the main change speed gearing shifted in the usual manner, and the clutch reengaged. During the disengaging movement of the clutch pedal to position A., the arm lll, rod l2, and lever lil will be moved to the positions shown in Figure lil but rod tl will not be shifted due to the and at this point lug il@ on lever 'l0 piclrg up hold the shoe in engagement with the bloei: so

' that when shaft lll is rotated, arm 'it will be normally rotated therewith. However, ii arm "it is prevented from rotating, shaft it can, nevertheless, be rotated relatively to the 'arm due to the collar itl. Continued movement of the pedal rotates sleevett and arm tu in unison. Since arm tt engages shoulder @t 'on rod lil, said rod will be moved rearwardly against the bias oi l spring tt. The movement of the clutch pedal from position l to position C' will thereby cause rod lil and gear tt to be moved rearwardly so that teeth 4| are disengaged froml teeth 38 and gear 48 is meshed with gear 34 so that the lowest speed ratio of the auxiliary two-speed gearing is effective. When gear 48 reaches the meshed position with gear 34, dogl 8l will drop behind shoulder 88 of collar 82 on rod 51 and thus lock the gear in its operative position and prevent spring 58 from unmeshing the. gear. When the clutch pedal now allows the clutch to reengage, power will be transmitted to both the front and rear axles. It is to be noted that during the depressing of the clutch pedal to position C, arm 11 of lever 10 will be moved from its position shown in Figure 2 to itsl position shown in Figure 'l and during this movement the spring-biased pivoted member 18 will engage arm 82 and push it aside (as shown in Figure 10) so as to pass beyond it to the position shown in Figure '7. Since shaft 88, which carries arm 82 and also dog 8l, is spring-biased, the dog will be positioned behind shoulder 64 as soon as the pivoted member 18 passes arm 82. When the main clutch is permitted to reengage, pivoted member 18 will yield and pass arm 82 without disturbing it during the return movement of lever 10. The condition of the control mechanism and the auxiliary gearing when low speed ratio is operative and the coupling engaged is shown in Figures 9 and 11.

If it should be again desired to place the auxiliary two-speed gearing in high speed ratio (teeth 4| engaged with teeth 38), the clutch pedal will be moved to the position marked A. This will bring lever 10 to the position shown in Figure 10 wherein the pivoted member 18 will engage arm 82 and swing it in a counter-clockwise direction to the position indicated in full lines in said Figure 10. Shaft 80 will be rotated and dog 8| will be raised and disengaged from will now result in the rear axle of the vehicle only being driven. When rod 52 assumes the position where the detent is in recess R, the interlocking pin 8l will be shifted into the elongated recess 88 of rod 51.

When the front axle coupling is disengaged and the drive is being transmitted only to the rear vaxle through the highest Aratio of the auxiliary two-speed gearing, it will be impossible to place the two-speed gearing in the lowest speed ratio because of the action of the interlocking pin, it being noted from viewing Figures 3 and 6 that the movement of rod 51 is now restricted solely to that permitted Vby the elongated recess 88. Such permissible movement of rod 51 will allow teeth 4| to be disengaged from teeth 38 and the auxiliary two-speed gearing to be in neutral condition where no power is transmitted to shaft thus restoring the high speed ratio condition.

then re-engaging the clutch as is usual prac--- tice. It is also to be noted that during shifting back and forth from the higher speed ratio to the lower speed ratio of the auxiliary gearing, the interlock will not in any way interfere with the full movement of rod 51 since pin 6| is pushed aside into the RF groove of rod 52.

If it should be desired to drive the vehicle by the rear axle independently of the front axle, such can be done only when the auxiliary twospeed gearing is in its highest gear ratio condition. Assuming that it is in this condition, that is, with gear in a position where teeth 4l engage teeth 38, all that need be done to` disconnect the front axle drive is to disengage the main clutch by depressing the pedal to the position A and then while the clutch is disengaged, grasp lever and move it rearwardly. This will cause shaft 54 and arm 55 to be rotated and rod 52 moved so that detent 53 engages the R recess. When rod 52 is so moved, fork 5| moves clutch element 46 of the coupling to the disengaged position'shown in Figure 4. ite-engagement of the main clutch by release of the clutch pedal 38 upon which gear 48 is splined.

If it should be desired to cause high speed ratio to be inactive and place gear 40 in its neutral position, such may be done by merely moving the clutch pedal Il to the position B. This will cause rod 5l to be moved rearwardly to where the interlock is at the end of the recess marked N. At this point the dog 8| will drop behind shoulder 84 and thus prevent spring 59 from so moving gear 48 as to re-engage teeth 4i with teeth 88. A This neutral condition of the auxiliary two-speed gearing is very seldom used since under normal procedure when it is desired to neutralize the gearing, such'is done by neutralizing the main change speed gearing 8 by operation of the gear shift lever 29. The neutralization of the auxiliary two-speed gearing is usually desirable only under conditions where a power take-olf is associated with the driven shaft I5 (not shown). Thus it is seen that by neutralizing the auxiliary two-speed gearing, power can be transmitted to the driven shaft I5 without driving either the front or the rear wheels of the vehicle. This neutral condition of the gearing can also be obtained if the front axle coupling is engaged by merely moving the clutch pedal to the position marked B and then releasing it. 1

Although the low speed ratio of the auxiliary two-speed gearing cannot be obtained when the front axle coupling is in a disengaged condition, it is possible to automatically obtain this ratio when hand lever 56 is shifted to a position engaging the coupling, provided the clutch pedal is fully depressed to position C at the time the front axle drive coupling ls caused to be engaged. As-

. suming that the coupling is disengaged and the auxiliary two-speed gearing is in its highest speed ratio, that is, teeth 4I engaged with teeth 38, then if the clutch pedal is moved to position C. the main clutch` will be disengaged and arm 13 on the end ofthe clutch shaft will be moved only to the position shown in Figure 17. Further movement thereof will be prevented due to the action of the interlock since the end of recess 60 will engage it and prevent gear 40 from meshing with gear 34. The gear 40, however, will assume its neutral position wherein teeth 4| are disconnected from teeth 38. Notwithstanding the -inability of rod 51 to be moved to obtain low speed ratio, the clutch pedal can be placed in position C. Such is permitted by the spring 16 and shoe 15 on arm 13 as these will yield andl permit the clutch shaft and block 'I4 to be moved to the position corresponding to clutch pedal position C and shown in full lines in Figure 17. With the clutch pedal in position C, the operator now need only engage the couby shifting lever t8 forwardly. Buch engagement will result'in rod 52 moving to the po` sition where detent` il is in groove RF. When this condition is' obtained, the .interlocking pin 8l is shiftable and can no longer hold rod 61. The force of spring 'it now operates on shoe 'it and throws `lover It forwardly so thatV the shoe fully engages by dog di cooperating with shoulder t3' (see Figure 9). Spring it is strong enough to overcome spring tu on' rod El and compress this latter sp to' malte the shift oi rod'tl. Thus itis seen that with the clutch pedal fully depressed y to C position, all that need bedone to cause low smed ratio to be active and the front axle driven with the rear axleis to merely engage the front e coupling by shifting lever 5t. When the main clutch is again :re-encased, both the front and rear axles will be driven through the low speed ratio of the auxiliary two-speed gearing.

From the description of the operation or my improved control `:mechanism it is obvious that the operator will always be fully awarel or the condition oi the auxiliary two-speed gearing and the coupling for the iront axle drive. a glance at the position of lever tu, the operator will know whether the coupline is enraged or disengaged. if the lever is in the rearward position, the opera.- tor will know that the auxiliary two-speed gear ing la in its ghost speed ratio as this is the only speed ratio which can he eeotive under such conditions.. it lever t@ is in its forward position, he will know that the iront axle drive coupling is engaged. The iecl" ci' additional resistance caused by spline it when the clutch pedal moves to positions d, B, and will inform him whether the auxiliary two-speed searing is either in low, neutral, or hish speed ratio. lr it is in high speed ratio, he irnow this when he depresses the clutch pedal beyond clutch-disengaged position lor as soon as the pedal is beyond the clutchdisengaaed pedal position Ii, he will feel the resistance ol spline it and if he wants to re#- main in the high speed gear ratio, he will not move the pedal against this resistance. If he ner already described. when me from; 'me drive coupling is disengaged, the operator cannot ob- "tain low speed ratio by merely moving the clutch pedal due to the interlock. It is also to be Jnoted that the operator will know if the gearing is in low speed ratio with the coupling engaged since under these conditions he can disengage the coupling due to the condition o! the interlocking phi as it will be held in groove RF.

Thus it is seen from the above. Vsummary 'of the-operation of the control mechanism that the shiftigpithe auxiliary two-speed gearing is con- Y siderablysimplied.-1'he operator is not required to employ any hand lever in addition to the gear shift lever tu and the coupling controlling lever E@ to change the gear ratio or the auxiliary twospeed gearing as is required in presently known control mechanisms. He does this entirely by his loot in operating the clutch pedal. Thus if he ,is driving the vehicle through any gear ratio ol the main change speed searing and .either gear ratio of the auxiliary two-speed gearing and he desires to change the ratio ofthe auxiliary twospeed gearing, he can do this simply by depressins the clutch pedal provided, of course, the front axle drive coupling is engaged. It is under such' conditions where the front and rear axle drive is being used that shifting of the ratio of the auxiliary two-speed gearing is desirable. This is easily accomplished by the control mechanism described. Even il low speed ratlois desired to be eective inthe auxiliary two-speed gearing and the front coupling is disengaged, such ratio can be obtained by merely making one hand should desire to place the auxiliary two-speedV only depress the clutch. pedal to the position A which is s'uicient to release dog 8i from shoulder td, thus freeing rod bl so that spring 59 can become operative to shift gear lil and cause teeth di to engage with teeth 3u. lf it is in high speed ratio and he desires to neutralize the auxiliary two-speed gearing, he need only push the clutch pedal to position B. This will shift gear l0 to its neutral position and result in dog 8l engaging shoulder lit to thus hold the gear in neutral position. Ii the iront axle drive coupling should be disengaged and he should desire to have the low speed ratio of the auxiliary two-speed gearing e'ectlve in driving both the front and rear axles, all that need be done is to fully depress the clutch pedalto the position C and then .engage the coupling by lever 5B. When this is done. gear du will be automatically moved to meshwith gear dit by the action of spring 'it in the manoperation, that is, moving lever tu. The other required operation is merely the` depressing of the clutch pedal to the fullest extent which is really no more or an operation than what is al ready required ci the i'oot since the main clutch must be operated anyhow when ratio changing is being made. By simpliiying'the control mechanism for the change speed gearing system shown, the operator is not called upon to perfor-mnumerous operations with his bandos would be the case where a hand lever is employed to control the shifting ot gear tu. Thus with a freer use ci his hands, the operator can operate other mechanisms or perform other duties and better maneuver the vehicle.

The particular gearing system with which l have associated my improved control mechanism is that now employed on small military trucks .shifting mechanism on such trucks, the vehicle operator has a greater freedom of use of his hands, particularly the right hand and yet can control the shifting of the gearing in a much quicker manner entirely free of 'mental and physical coordination. 'This is very important on military vehicles because during battle or maneuvers the operator can use his right hand to a greater exbut even when used for other purposes.

Being aware of the possibility of modiilcations in the particular structure, herein described without departing from the fundamental principles of my invention, I do not intend that its scope be ,limited except as set `forth by the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In control mechanism for a vehicle driving system provided with an engine clutch, with a change speed gearing having` a member shiftable to two speed ratio operative positions and means for operating said clutch, said control mechanism comprising spring means for biasing said member to one speed ratio operative position, mechanical connecting means between said clutch operating means and the shiftable member for shifting said shiftable member from said one speed ratio operative position to the other by a movement of the clutch operating means beyond clutch disengaging position. means for locking said shiftable member in the other position against the bias of the spring means and permitting re-engagement of the clutch byrelease of the operating means and without movement of the shiftable member, and means for releasing the locking means by a successive movement oi the clutch operating means beyond clutch disen- Y gaging position but not such a movement as is required to establish the said other speed ratio. 2. In control mechanism for a vehicle driving system provided with an engine clutcn,. with a change speed gearing having a member shiitable to two speed ratio operative positions and a neutral position and means for operating said named position, and means for unlocking said latchmeans by a successive operation of the means for shifting the rod, said last named means comprising a member movable with the oscillatable member and operable to unlatch the lock when the osciilatable member is moved in said one 'direction a distance less than that required to establish the other speed ratio-but not in the opposite direction. y

5. In a control mechanism for a change speed gearing having a member shiftable to threepotisions to establish two diiierent speed ratios and to neutralize the gearing. spring means for biasing said member to one of its speed ratio operative positions, means for shifting said shiftable member to its two other positions against the spring means comprising a movable member movalbe to diiierent positions, the speed ratio position being beyond the neutralizing position, latch means i'or locking the shiftable member in either of said two other positions and permitting release oi force transmitted by the movable memberof the shifting means, and means 'for releasing the latch means by a movement of the movable member of the shifting means and permitting the spring means to place the shiftable member in its said rst position, the movement of the movable member to .release the latch means being. short of that required to establish the other speed ratio.

6. In a vehicle providedwith two driven members, a change speed gearing having a, driven engaging position, means for locking said shift l' able member in the other positions against the bias of the spring means and permitting re-engagement of the clutch by release of the operating means and without movement of the shiftable member. and means for releasing the locking means by a successive movement of the clutch operating means beyond clutch disengaging position but with less movement than that required to establish the said other speed ratio.

3. In control mechanism for a change speed gearing having a member shiftable to two speed ratio operative positions, areciprocable rod connected to the shiftable member, a spring for biasing the shiftable member and rod to a position where the shiftable member is in one of its speed ratio operative positions, means for shifting said rod and member against the bias of the spring means to cause the shiftable member to be in its other speed ratio operative position, latch means for locking the rod in said last named position.

and means movable with the means for shifting the rod for unlocking said latchk means by a successive operation oi said means for shifting the rod but with less movement than that required to establish the said other speed ratio.

4. In control mechanism for a change speed gearing having a member shiftable to two speed ratio operative positions, a reciprocable rod connected to the shiftable member, a spring for biasing the shiftable member and rod to a position where the shiftable member is in one of its speed ratio opertaive positions, means comprising an oscillatable member movable in one direction for shifting said rod and member against the bias of the spring means to cause the shiftable member to be in its other speed ratio operative position,

shaft for driving both members simultaneously, means comprising a shiftable member for driving the shaft at two difierentspeed ratios and a coupling for disconnecting the shaft from one driven member, control meansffor the shiftable member and the coupling, said control means comprising means for engaging and disengaging the coupling, foot-operated means for shifting the shiftable member t0 either of its two ratio positions, and means for preventing movement of the shiftable member to one of said ratio positions when the coupling is in disengaged condition.

7. In a vehicle provided with two driven members, a change speed gearing having a driven Shaft for driving both members simultaneously, means comprising a shiftable member for driving the shaft at two different speed ratios and a coupling for disconnecting the shaft from one driven member, control means for the shiftable member and the coupling, said control means comtions. and means for preventing disengagement of the coupling when it is in one of its speed ratio operative positions.

8. In a motor vehicle provided witha driving system for two driven members and comprising an engine c1utch,- clutch operatingv means, Va change speed gearing having a driven shaft for driving both members and embodying a shiftable member for driving the shaft at two different speed ratios and a coupling for disconnecting the shaft from one driven member, control means for said driving system comprising means for engaging and disengaging the coupling, means for controlling the shiftable member by the clutch operating means after the yclutch has been disengaged, and means for preventing the disensagementy of the coupling when the shiftable member is in one of its speed ratio operative polatch means for locking the rod in said last sitions.

gearing having a driven shaft for driving both sition, means for preventing the shiftable member from assuming one speed ratio operative position when the coupling is disengaged, and spring means permitting the clutch pedal to be moved to its normal shifting position beyond clutchdisengaged position notwithstanding the disengaged condition of the coupling prevents shifting of the shiftable member and fox` automatically shifting the shiftable member to said one speed ratio if the coupling is caused to be engaged under such conditions.

1'1. In a motor vehicle provided with a driving 'system for two driven members and comprising an engine clutch, clutch operating means, a change speed gearing having a driven shaft for driving both members and embodying a shiftable member for driving'the'shaft at two different i members and embodying a shiftable member for speed ratios and a coupling for disconnecting the shaft from one driven member, control means for said driving system comprising means for engaging and disengaging the coupling, spring means for biasing the shiftable melnber .to its highest speed ratio position, means for moving the shiftable member to its lower speed ratio position by the clutch operating means after the clutch has been disengaged, latch means for locking the shiftable member in the lowest speed ratio position, means for preventing the movement of the shiftable member to its lowest speed ratio position when the coupling is disengaged, means for permitting the clutch operating means to assume its position normally causing shifting of the shiftable member notwithstanding shifting is prevented by the' disengaged condition of the coupling, and means for automatically shifting the shiftable member when the clutch operating means is in said last named position and the coupling is caused to be engaged from a disengaged condition. i

18. In a control mechanism for a change speed gearing having a member shiftable to two positions to establish two diierent speed ratios, means for shifting said member from one speed ratio position to the other speed ratio position including a manually operable member, means for biasing the member in the position where the one speed ratio is established and for also presenting a yieldable resistance to movement of the manual member to establish the other speed ratio and thereby provide indicating means for the operator so as to inform said operator that said one speed ratio is established, means for holding the shiftingA member in the other speedratio position when so positioned by the manually operable member and permitting free return of the manually operated member, and means for releasing the holding means by a subsequent movement of the manually operable member which is less than that required to establish the other speed ratio.

19. In a control mechanism for a change speed gearing having a member shiftable to two positions to establish two different speed ratlos, means for shifting said member from one speed ratio position to the other speed ratio position including a manually operable member having a movement to a predetermined position to make the shift, means for establishing a resistance to the movement oi' the manually-operable member to thereby provide indicating means for informing the operator the one speed ratio is established and that if the manually operable member is moved to the predetermined Vposition the said other speed ratio will be established, means permitting the return of the manually operable member from the predetermined position after the shift is made, means for shifting the shiftable member to establish said other speed ratio when the said one speed ratio is established, and means for causing said last named means to operate and make the shift when the manually operable member is moved to a position short of the said predetermined position.

20. In a control mechanism for a change speed gearing having a member shiftable to two positions to establish two diiIerent speed ratios, spring means for biasing said member to the highest speed ratio position, means for shifting said shiftable member tothe lower speed ratio position against the bias of the spring means including a force transmitting element movable from one position to another position, means for holding said shiftable member in the lower speed ratio position without the necessityA of applying force thereto by the element of the shifting means and permitting the element to return to said one position, and means movable with the element for releasing the holding means by a movement of said element from the said one position to a position short of the other position required to establish the said lower speed ratio.

21. In a control mechanism for a change speed gearing having a member shiftable to two positions to establish two different speed ratios and said gearing having associated therewith a main clutch provided with a clutch pedal, spring means for biasing said shiftablemember to the higher speed ratio position, means for shifting said shiftable member from the higher speed ratio position to the lower speed ratio position by a movement of the clutch pedal to a predetermined position beyond clutch disengaging position, means for holding said shiftable member in said lower speed ratio position against the bias of the spring means and permittingfree return of the clutch pedal, and means for releasing said holding means by a subsequent movement of the clutch pedal beyond clutch disengaging position but short of the predetermined position.

GLENN T. RANDOL. 

